Ch 6 Sect 1:The Rise of Greek Civilization

Struggles of the gods Earth and Sky god created the Twelve Titans. These gods rebelled against their father Sky and took away his power.Earth and Sky god created the Twelve Titans. These gods rebelled against their father Sky and took away his power. The youngest of the Titans, Cronos, ruled in his father’s place.The youngest of the Titans, Cronos, ruled in his father’s place. In time, Cronos had 6 children. The youngest, mighty Zeus, toppled Cronos from his throne.In time, Cronos had 6 children. The youngest, mighty Zeus, toppled Cronos from his throne. Like their gods, the people of Greece had to struggle for power and independence. Their struggles began with the land itself.Like their gods, the people of Greece had to struggle for power and independence. Their struggles began with the land itself.

Greece’s Geographic Settings Greece is a country made up of peninsulas. A peninsula is an area of land surrounded by water on three sides. Look at the map on page 167. You can see no part of Greece is very far from the sea. Mountains are the major landforms of Greece. There are only small patches of farmland. Only about one fifth of Greece is good for growing crops. For this reason, many Greeks became sailors and traders. At times they left Greece to find colonies far away.

Greece’s Geographic Setting What was life like for people living in Greece 3,000 years ago? In a way, they were all islanders. Instead of water, mountains separated these small communities from one another. The geography of Greece made it hard for people from different communities to get together. For this reason, the ancient Greek communities thought of themselves as separate countries. Each one developed its own custom and beliefs. Each believed its own land, traditions, and way of life were the best. Each was more than ready to go to war to protect itself.

Minoan Civilization Two ancient peoples, the Minoan and the Mycenaeans made an important impact on Greek history. The Minoan lived on the island of Crete during the Bronze Age. Crete was an ideal place for them to develop a broad sea trade network. Archaeological finds show that the Minoans developed a vibrant culture. A grand palace once stood in the ancient Crete city of Knossos.

Minoan Civilization Various statues found within palace ruins suggest that the Minoans worshipped goddesses. In the middle of 1400s, B.C. Knossos was destroyed, and Minoan civilization declined. People from the mainland Greece, the Mycenaeans, were the likely invaders.

The Mycenaeans After the Mycenaeans came into power, mainland and island cultures blended. The focus of these cultures moved to the mainland, where the city of Mycenae was located. At the height of the power, around 1400 B.C., the Mycenaeans controlled the Aegean Sea and parts of the Mediterranean.

The Mycenaeans Like the Minoans, the Mycenaeans also used writing. Studies of the Mycenaeans’ script show that they spoke an early form of modern Greek. The Minoans had gained much of their power through trade. Although the Mycenaeans traded widely, they relied upon conquest to spread their power.

The Trojan War The Trojan War was a long struggle between Greece and the city of Troy on the west coast of Asia Minor, in present-day Turkey. According to the Greek myths, the Greeks conquered Troy by using a trick-the Trojan Horse. The horse was rolled to the city gates. Thinking it was a gift, the Trojans bought the horse into their city. During the night the Greek soldiers climbed out of the horse and let the rest of the army into Troy. The Greeks burned and looted Troy and then returned home.

Trojan War Two epics, or long story-telling poems, about the Trojan War survive today. The Iliad and the Odyssey. These epics are credited to a poet named Homer. The poems were important to the Greeks. They taught them how what their gods were like and how the noblest of their heroes behaved. Most historians agree that the Trojan War did not happen exactly as Homer described it. Some believe that the Homer’s epics were inspired by a long battle between the Greeks and Trojans, but others argue that the epic were inspired by a serious of minor battles. Troy was destroyed by a large fire in the mid-1200s B.C., an act that some historians believe may have been committed by invaders from Greece.

The Dark Ages of Greece Not long after the end of the Trojan War, civilization in Greece collapsed. No one exactly knows why. Poverty was everywhere. People no longer traded for food and other goods beyond Greece. They had to depend on what they could raise themselves. Some were forced to move. They were so concerned with survival that they forgot the art of writing. The early years from 1100sB.C. to about 750 B.C., have been called the Greek’s Dark Ages. Without writing people had to depend on word of mouth to keep their traditions and history alive.

The Dark Ages of Greece Greek Dark Ages were not completely bleak. During this time, families gradually began to resettle in places where they could grow crops and raise animals. When they chose where to build their farms, people favored places near rocky, protected hills. Here they built structures to protect them from attack. The name for the hill was acropolis, meaning “high city. After 800 B.C., people in Greece began writing again. It was during this period that Homer is believed to have recorded in writing his epic about the Trojan War.

City-States Develop Historians believe that sometime around 750 B.C., villages in a small area probably joined to form a city in the shadow of an acropolis. At the time, each city began to develop its own traditions and its own form of government. Today we call these tiny nations city-states. A city-state is not only a city, but also a separate independent state. Each city-state included a city and the villages and fields surrounding it.

Aristocracy: Nobles Rule The earliest rulers of city-states were probably chieftains or kings who were military leaders. By the end of Greece’s Dark Ages, most city- states were ruled by aristocrats, members of the rich and powerful families. They controlled most of the good land. They could afford horses, chariots, and the best weapons to make themselves stronger than others.

A New Type of Ruler As the Greeks sailed to foreign ports trading olive oil, marble, and other products, the city- states became richer. A middle class of merchants and artisans developed. They wanted some say in the government of their cities. These people could not afford to equip themselves with horses and chariots for war. They could afford armor, swords, and spears. With these weapons, large group of soldiers could fight effectively effect on foot.

A New Type of Ruler Gradually, military strength in the cities shifted from aristocrat to merchants and artisans. As a result of these changes, aristocratic governments were often overthrown and replaced by rulers called tyrants. A tyrant was a ruler who seized power by force. Tyrants were usually supported by the middle and working classes. Today, we think of tyrants as being cruel and violent. That was true of some Greek tyrants, but others wisely and well.

Democracy in Greece Eventually tyrants were overthrown. Some of the cities adopted a form of government called democracy. In a democracy, citizens govern themselves. The city-state in which democracy was most fully expressed was Athens. About 549 B.C., a wise Athenian leader called Solon won the power to reform the laws. He was well known for his fairness. His laws reformed the economy and the government of Athens.

Solon’s Laws One of his first laws cancelled all debts and freed citizens who had been enslaved for having debts. Another law allowed many male citizen of Athens aged 18 or older to have a say in debating important laws. These laws and others allowed Athens to become the leading democracy in the ancient world.

Not every one living in ancient Athens benefited from democracy. Only about one in five Athenians was a citizen. To be a citizen, a man had to have an Athenian father and mother. Some of the people living in Athens were enslaved. These people did not take part in democracy, nor did women or foreigners. Men who were citizens of Athens were free and self-governing.